Show AMERICANS LIKE HAY it thet dont why do they eat it chwi ever they bet a chance said the policeman to the reporter on east main street the other day the reporter stopped and the policeman drew him into a doorway do you see that load of hay said he as he pointed to a big wagon standing near the curbstone well if you want to see something funny just watch it for a few minutes the two stood there says the rochester post empress and soon a well dressed man came aloner evidently in deep thought thou he jot opposite the hay wagon looked up stopped and then took a piece of hay and went on in deep thought pretty soon a well dressed business man happened along saw the waon stepped up to it and took three pieces of hay he aspin to chew one meditatively and carried the others off with him A middle aged woman came near and she too pulled out a piece and carried it with her then a pretty gir with a blue striped shirt waist and a straw sailor hat with a blue band came along and had nearly passed when she saw the and after looking around to see there was no one whom she knew watching stole over and carefully selected a long slender bit which she carried with much care afta that everybody from a dirty faced urchin with a baseball bat to a nurse girl with a baby carriage stopped and selected a piece of hay and departed happy the policeman and the reporter stood in the doorway for twenty minutes and watched the procession strange it said the policeman ive been on this beat for three months and ive never seen a man or a woman or a child pass without taking a piece of hay it is not so with straw why a load of straw could stay there for a whole day and not one person in five would think of taking a piece I 1 think that the reason so many people take hay is on account of the sweet taste it has for a piece of hay when it is in good condition and not too dry is really a very nice thing to chew on people who would rather die than chew a toothpick on the street think nothing of going down the street with a long piece of hay in their mouths as berned as three schoolgirls walking abreast funny it this reporter agreed that it was and then left As he passed the hay he involuntarily reached out his hand and before lie was aware of it lie biad a ion piece of hay in his mouth he heard a queer noise behind hiim and looking around ho saw the policeman pointing his club at alie dagou and then at him and laughing but when the reporter i in about half an hour he saw a blua clad figure strolling down the street with something sticking front of his shoulder it was the ab aein a and the reporter smiled as lie passed him lie biad a big wip of hay and was chewing it like the rest |